Thoughts from the Christian perspective: discernment issues as they relate to the current state of the church and society.

We who preach the gospel must not think of ourselves as public relations agents sent to establish good will between Christ and the world. We must not imagine ourselves commissioned to make Christ acceptable to big business, the press, the world of sports or modern education. We are not diplomats but prophets, and our message is not a compromise but an ultimatum. A.W. Tozer

Saturday, April 16, 2011

"Easter" vs Resurrection Day

I have to address the issue of Easter and Christians. Some cities are dropping the word “Easter” from their annual egg hunts and other such frivolity, and Christians are in an uproar about the removal of all things “Christian” from such events.

Okay, Christians: Can you explain to me what all this egg and bunny stuff has to do with the resurrection of our Lord? The fact that Christians adopted these pagan practices for celebrating on Easter is an affront to the name of Christ to begin with. So quit belly-aching about anyone dropping the name “Easter” from these pagan celebrations.

In light of this, I find it abhorrent that so many churches sponsor Easter egg hunts and have such programs; again, what do these have to do with the resurrection of Christ, or any Christian doctrine? Here in my area, up in Cedar Rapids, the 1st Assembly of God (who has in years past brought in the false Pensacola “revival” among other aberrant stuff) has an annual day-before-Easter event for kids. Here is their current advertisement:

Kids 2yrs through 6th grade will enjoy this fun-filled annual Easter celebration loaded with prizes, candy and skits! We will meet in the Sanctuary at 10:00 AM for a short program followed by the Outdoor (weather permitting) Egg Scramble (divided by age) with over 16,000 filled eggs! Bring all your friends – this is one EGGSTRAVAGANT event!

I believe this is as wrong-headed as it gets. Church leaders: Do you really think this is the way Christ would have wanted the Church to celebrate His resurrection? I highly doubt it! What purpose does this serve for the Church? This does nothing but confuse kids, let alone adults, as to what Resurrection Day is all about. And it certainly is not wise stewardship of church money!

Christians, we need to separate this foolishness from the celebration of the most important event in history. If you want to give your kids “Easter” baskets, then do something like we did in our family and have a “1st day of Spring” celebration in your family. But the Church should have no more to do with the Easter bunny and eggs than it should have to do with Santa Claus.

Please, please stop the association of these practices with the day we celebrate the Lord rising from the dead.

We've got a church up here in the Minneapolis/St Paul area doing a helicopter Easter egg drop. Guess they didn't learn from the lessons of the Lambs' and Nobles' down in GA and SC a few years ago. Even worse (if that's possible), there isn't any Easter message associated with the eggs. They're just filled with candy and trinkets. I guess we should have realized how bad this church could be, when they advertise the pastor and his wife as co-pastors; same with the youth leader (and his wife), the worship leader (and his wife). Yeah, they're real Biblical.

The resurrection of Christ is the single most important fact of Chritianity. If Jesus did not resurrect He will be a prophet and not the Christ. That's why Resurrection Day is SO important to the church and to all christians.

Yes we as christians should start seeking out TRUTH in all things relating to the church. if we just did some research into church traditions we would be quite asstonished at just how much paganism has crept in the church.